Tone arm actuator



3.1:. KI'MBAL-L TONE A'mr'o July 11, 195o Filed Dec. 29, 14a

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Patented July 11, 1950 UNI `TED S TAT ES PATENT O F FICE 2,514,548 TONE ARM AoTUAToR James FfKimball, Jackson, Mich.

Application December 29, 1948,"SerialNfLV 67,949

6 Claims.

1 This'rinvention relates to phonographs and has for "one Vof itsrprincipalobjectsy the adaptation' kof/ :a phonograph for advertising purposes.

It isfa vparticular object ofthe invention to adapt-a phonograph for-usevat a gasoline lling station :to automatically play'some advertising ditty, slogan or: announcement when a vehicle approaches thestation.` Obviously, however, thethusadapted 'phonograph `can -be installed for useiinV other locations than a-gasoline filling station.

Ay further object ofv the invention'is to'provide a phonograph .accessory adapted automatically to cause the tone varrnv-needle'to engage With a` recordtofplay Yai pre=selected portion thereof,

whereupon the tone 4arm' `is automatically raised tov remove the 'needle kfromvpl'aying engagement with -the record.

Yeta further and 'important `object of the invention is to provideY an advertising apparatus, for installation atr a` gasoline filling station or like location', which employs a phonograph having'an electronic'tube amplifier and Jaitone arm actuator mechanism adapted to be inuenced bythe -action'fof an'approaching car' or'other vehicle to causethe Stone arm`y needle to make playing'contac't WithVa record, whereby when tlfieam'plier'tubes4 are heated and the phonograph turntable is in' motion the record, or a pre-selected portion thereof, is automatically played'under thecontrol of the approaching vehicle.A

Afurtl'ierv and specicobject of the invention is to provide an accessory fora phonograph comprsingfanjabutmentj plate member adapted to rest lightly upon a record positioned for playing and to be .held against rotationwith-the' record imposition where the abutment plate is operable to effect a 'lowering or' raising of lth'enton'e arm' needle with respectto' `the record sound track under the' control ofa latch and actuator means for .the latter, the latch normally .engaging the abutment ypla'teto hold the 'same against rota'- tion, withfthe tonearm needle held raised'from engagement withthe record, and the latch actu# atormeans being; adapted vforremote actuation, as .by la vehicleapproaching'a gasoline filling station, toV permitthe abutment plate kto rotate withthe record and. thereby automatically lower the tone .arm needle into .the record playing position.i

These'. and'other objects and advantages ofthe invention, and the realization thereof, Willappearclearirom a consideration of the `.folloW- upon makinga complete revolution withy the record and just prior to its re-engagement by the tone arm' stop pinto again lift -thetone arm needle from playing'engagement With the record sound track,

Fig. II is a section on the line A-A of Fig. I,

Fig. III is aplan view of the abutment plate employed in this embodiment of the invention andshowing in dotted lines the position which the'tone arm stop pinv occupies to arrest rotaftion ofthe abutmentplate with the 'record after havingbeenlfreed by the latch to rotate' with the record and prior to the'position'i'ng of the stop pinjdue to continued playing of the record, opposite the re-entry end 'of the camtrack guide channel in the face of theabutment plate,

Fig. IV is a similar view' to Fig. I, but showing the position of the parts Whenthe tone arm stop pin is about to re-enter' the vaforesaid guide channel', y

Fig. V isa section on the line vB-B of Fig. I, and

Fig. VI is a section onthe line C`C of Fig. I but showing the parts in position Where the tone armf-needle has playing engagement With the record sound track and' the abutment plate lis held arrested by engagement of the tone arm" stop pin with" the abutment plate 'as indicatedin Fig.' III( Referring to the` drawings'` lll indicates the" Thephonograph itself vmay be of well-,known and usual construction, including the turntable and tonearm, andis of the type which has an electronic tube amplifier (not shown).

Supported upony the record I4 there is an elongated plate member 22 Which constitutes an abutment plate, as will be explained later, for' a latch 24' and for a depending stop pin 26 on a` the l bracket arm 28 rigidly connected with the tone arm I6, as by screw 30.

The abutment plate 22 (which may be formed from plastic material) is adapted to rest lightly upon the record and is normally held against rotation with the record by the engagement of the latch 24 with the rear side 2| of the abutment plate, having regard to the direction of rotation of the record, as indicated by the arrow. Said side 2| of the abutment plate is shown cut away `to provide an angular recess 36 having an upstanding flange 32 along one side limb thereof,

which flange forms an effective abutment for the latch 24. f

The abutment plate is also shownfprovided with a series of holes 33 in any one of which the rotatable turntable pin I2 can be selectively engaged so as thereby to adjust the abutment plate with respect to the record and to the sound c track thereon.

At its outer end, having regard to its operative position upon the record, the abutment plate is formed in its upper surface with a transversely extending guide channel 34 open to both sides of the abutment plate and eccentric to the turntable pin I2, said'ehannel being formed to receive the depending vtone arm stop pin 26. The

4bas'eof this guide channel is formed to provide scribed later.

The'latchl 24 is pivotally mounted, at 42, upon the bracket arm 28 and has a hook nose portion 4I by which it abuttingly engages the ange 32 on the abutment plate 22 when so positioned, and as shown in Figs. II and V.

The latch 24 is also connected by a link 44 (which latter constitutes a latch actuator) to a flexible air tube 46having a nozzle piece 48 forming a guide for an interior piston 50 (Fig. I) carried by said linkvfor reciprocation within said nozzle piece against the action of the coil spring 52, which latter normally acts to urge the piston to the left, as seenxin Fig. I, in which-position the latch 24, through the medium of the link 44 (the latter being guided gthrough the end opening 43-inV the nozzle piece and being swive1 connected at 45 with the latch) is tensioned into latching Aengagement `with vthe abutmentV plate -v 1'1anee32.y r .-1 1, Y if H Assuming thatthe phonograph with the accessory structure above described is located at a gasoline filling station, that the record I4 contains an advertisingditty sound track, that the amplifier' tubesare heated and the turntable `III is rotatingii-that the air tube 46 extends to ground level Aand is laid -in the pathvof` the cars or other the link 44 to actuate the latch 24 to swing the latter about its pivot 42 in such manner (as will be appreciated from consideration of Fig. VI) as to lift the latch nose 4I from engagement with the abutment plate flange 32. This automatically frees the abutment plate 22 to rotate with the record I4 and is rst accompanied by a lowering movement of the stop pin 26 down the sharply inclined track 4I) of the channel y34 and by a slight radially outward movement of the tone arm I6 corresponding to the eccentricity of the guide channel 34. The construction and arrangement is such that at the time when the abutment plate, in its rotary movement with the record I4, leaves vvthe stop-pin 26 the tone arm needle I8 will have been lowered into playing contact with the record and in position, with respect to the sound track, as causes the required advertising ditty to be played and the point of commencement of which is capable of being pre-selected and adjusted by engagement of the appropriate hole 33 in the abutment plate with the 4turntable spindle I2.

After making one complete revolution with the record I4 the abutment platev will again be brought to rest but this time by the engagement of the abutment edge 25 of the abutment plate with the stop pin 26, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. III. In this position of the parts (as seen also in Fig. VI) the record will continue to be played until the tone arm stop pin 26, as indicated in Fig. IV, is positioned opposite the reentry end of the guide channel 34. When so located, and with the phonograph turntable still rotating of course, the tone arm stop pin is free toY ride up the cam track portion 3B lsince the abutment plate is `'now free to be taken round with the rotating record and returned from its dotted position, as seen in Fig. I, to its original and full line position as shown in Figs. I, II and V.

As the tone arm stop pin 26 rides up the cam track portion 38 the needle I8 is lifted from engagement with the record I4 until the position is f reached when the stop pin is again engaged with the elevation 36. Simultaneously with this occurring the latch 24, biased by its spring 52, will have re-engaged the abutment plate ange 32 to arrest further rotation of the abutment plate and thereby hold the parts positioned for a fresh operational cycle upon the air tube 46 being again` tating obviously this could be modified and arrangementkmade, as by suitable switches, for the phonograph to be broughtinto playing operation automatically in thel manner .above described and ultimately cut-oit from playing, as when a particularr advertising .announcement has been completed or a particular time interval has elapsed.

Having thus described one practical form and application of the invention but without limiting the same to the precise constructional details and the arrangement disclosed thereby what I claim is as follows:

1. In combination witha phonograph, tone arm" abutment means adaptedto be supported by a record positioned for playing, said means being rotatable with the record, stop means operatively associated with the phonograph tone arm and adapted to contact said abutment means to lower the tone arm needle into playing engagement with the record and ultimately tov raise it from such playing engagement,1atch means operatively associated with said abutment means and adapt-ed to arrest movement of the latter With the phonograph record, and latch actuator means operatively connected with said latch means and adapted to release the latter to free the said abutment means for movement With the record to thereby automatically move the needle into and out of playing engagement.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, said latch actuator means comprising a exible iiuid line connected with the latch and adapted and arranged to effect disengagement of the latch by displacement of the fluid therein.

3. In combination with a phonograph, stop means operatively associated with the phonograph tone arm, an abutment member for said stop means, said abutment member being positioned for rotation With a record in playing position on the phonograph turntable, an abutment surface on said abutment member, latch means adapted to hold the latter is position in which said tone arm stop means supports the tone arm needle out of playing engagement with the record, and latch actuator means operable to disengage the latch from said abutment holding position and thereby free the tone arm needle to enter automatically into playing engagement with the record.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 said abutment being in the form of a plate adapted to rest lightly upon the record for rotation With the latter When freed by disengagement of said latch.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 3 said abutment means including a guide track for engagement by said tone arm stop means to control lowering and raising movements of the tone arm needle into and out of playing engagement, said guide track having an eXit end for said stop means and a re-entry end therefor and including an abutment surface for said tone arm stop means corresponding to a position at Which the tone arm needle is held in the non-playing position.

6. Advertising apparatus comprising in combination, a phonograph, a record on the phonograph turntable, abutment means supported upon said record for rotation therewith, a latch device adapted normally to hold said abutment means against rotation with the record, stop means associated With the phonograph tone arm and normally contacting said abutment means in position to hold the tone arm needle out of playing position with respect to said record, and remote control means operatively associated with said latch device and adapted upon actuation to release the latch device from rotary restraining engagement With said abutment means so as thereby to permit the tone arm needle to enter automatically into playing engagement with said record.

JAMES F. KIMBALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,643,369 Bookman Sept. 27, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 249,872 Germany Alle. 1; 1912 

